


Valentine's Day

by MsAmburrito



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-24
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-09-26 13:50:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9901061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsAmburrito/pseuds/MsAmburrito
Summary: In a world where the dead are eating the living, the last thing people should be thinking about is cards and little chocolates. But on the other hand, it's also important to keep some semblance of normalcy. When Daryl comes across an abandoned Hallmark, his curiosity peeks. He finds a special something for a special someone.Set during the time at the prison before the governor is killed.





	

Each day seemed to combine into one long ass day for Daryl. He supposed that was what happens during the apocalypse. No one has the luxury of knowing exactly what day it was, what time it was, or how long it will last. He started to miss those nerdy little calendars his parents had on their fridge when he was a kid. He actually looked forward to flipping over to the next month. It was something others would say was weird to like, but back then he didn't have much to like. Not that the present was any different. He looked down from the top of the watch tower, over at the little group of walkers trying to push their way through the fence. He knew it was secure so them being there was more of a nuisance than a threat. He heard footsteps come up behind him. Turning around, he saw Rick heading up the stairs. 

"Hey," Daryl grumbled, turning back to look out towards the field again.

"Wanna do me a favor?" Rick asked him. 

"Depends. What is it?" Daryl said, suspiciously. 

"Could you go for a supply run? Try to find a convenience store or something....anything that has basic essentials. I know I could trust you to go alone, but if you want I could come with."

Daryl thought about Rick's offer. He wouldn't mind spending some time alone so he agreed. "Nah, it's fine. I'll go by myself." He started down the steps, Rick close behind. 

"Thanks, man." Rick said as he watched Daryl climb onto his motorcycle. The engine roared to life and Rick grimaced as he pointed out how loud the motorcycle actually was. "It's like using a gun all the time to kill walkers."

"You're not takin' it." Daryl replied, speeding off and leaving Rick chuckling to himself as he walked back to the prison.

 

The wind blew passed Daryl's hair as he drove down the deserted highway. It felt so good on his face and he let a smile come across his face. There were really only two times he smiled. When he was driving his motorcycle and when he was with Carol. She was the only person who he didn't mind teasing him. It was part of their friendship. Ever since Sophia went missing, they had shared something special. She had seen how much Daryl had cared about finding the little girl, and she was forever grateful for his efforts. In the distance there was a walker roaming the road. Daryl decided to pick up speed....just to see what would happen. He came up to the walker fast as it turned around and made a grunting sound. Before it could even try to bite him, he smashed into it. The body fell apart, limbs and guts spilling everywhere. Daryl was covered in it, but he didn't care. That felt fucking good. "Fuck you!" he called out, shaking his head to remove excess blood from his hair. 

A few hours later, he came to an abandoned store. After he secured the area, he pushed open the door. It was dark and musty inside, like Hershel's old barn near the end of their time there. Products littered the floor but it wasn't the kind of stuff Daryl expected. "Aw, crap," he said looking around. The floor was covered in holiday cards. "It's a goddamn Hallmark." Oh well, he thought. Might as well look around. He rummaged through the cards on the floor, kicking them out of the way to see if there was anything underneath. Nothing. He silently cursed the world before moving to the shelves. Next to the one closest to him, there was a little stand. It had a calendar on it. The month it was turned to was January. He stared at it for a moment, thinking about his childhood. "What the hell?" he said, shrugging his shoulders. He turned the page to February, the way he did when he was young. In that small familiar act, he found a speck of peace in an unforgiving world. 

One particular day was circled with a heart. Someone marked Valentine's Day in red ink. He never liked that day. He was always teased by Merle whenever he wanted to give a card to a girl so he just forgot about the whole thing. But for some reason his thoughts went to Carol. She would like a card, he thought. He walked over to where some cards hadn't been knocked off the shelf. He felt foolish picking one up, especially when he read what it said on the front. Will you be mine? was written in squiggly letters, with a little bear holding a heart up towards the sky. Daryl's face turned beat red as he pictured giving this to Carol. "This is stupid." he said. But still he pocketed the card and left the store.

 

Back at the prison he unloaded the rest of the stuff he found along the way. Some food, diapers for Judith, and condoms for the sex animals. Meaning Glenn and Maggie of course. He found Glenn in his cell and threw the box at him. "Hear ya go."

"Could you be any less subtle?" Glenn asked him, embarrassed as he picked the box off of the floor.

"Come on, everybody can hear ya guys," Daryl teased his friend as Glenn blushed. "You ain't very subtle."

When Daryl left Glenn's cell, he found Carol in hers. She was lying on her bed, writing in a notebook. "Whatcha writin'?" he asked her, plopping down on the bed.

"None of your business," she said mysteriously and closed the book. It was really just doodles but Carol wanted to bug him and enjoyed it. She noticed something behind Daryl's back then. "What's that?" she asked and reached behind him. 

"Hey!" Daryl tried to stop her but she already had the card in hand. He fidgeted with his hands, too embarrassed to look her in the eyes. He was going to give it to her, but on his terms. He hadn't anticipated her finding the card already.

Carol looked at the card, shocked. It was a Valentine's Day card with the cutest little bear on the front. Was this for her? Or did he just have it on him for some other reason? "Who's this for?" she asked innocently, waiting for his response. She wished with all her heart that it was for her, but knew that was unlikely. Daryl wasn't known to be sweet and sentimental. He didn't reply right away and there was an awkward silence while he pondered what to say. Finally he grunted, "For you."

Her heart swelled with joy. "I can't believe I got a Valentine's Day card from Daryl Dixon. Won't all the other girls be jealous." she teased. 

"There ain't no others." Daryl told her, finally able to look her in the eyes. Suddenly tears started to fill Carol's eyes and slowly fell down her cheek. 

"This is the sweetest gift I could ever want." she choked out. Crap, he hadn't wanted to make her cry. 

"Don't cry, come on. " he said to her, moving closer and wiping a tear from her cheek. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. 

"Thank you." she said to him, smiling sweetly.

"It was nothin'," he shrugged. But then winked at her before leaving. After sitting for a while feeling all giddy like a school girl, she was able to calm down enough to find a small amount of tape. Carol attached some to the back of the card and hung it over her bed. She looked at it every night before going to bed from that night on.


End file.
